john herber

The Ugly Duckling fairy tale tells of an ugly duckling who grows into a beautiful swan. Many companies or plants have action items from many sources that are ugly. They have lingered a long time, they are poorly defined and/or they have little chances of being completed as written. This article explains steps to recognize action items that are ugly and what can be done to bring them to closure before they mature into a Gray Swan, an improbable, but still devastating event.

A number of economic factors have collided recently: the step drop in the price of oil, uncertainty in the United States and global economies, and mixed signals from economic and political leaders of many countries. All of these conditions have placed companies, especially those affected by oil prices under difficult economic stress. Companies are taking radical actions to, reduce capital and operational spending and in general, reduce cost. These economic pressures can be onerous on all areas of a business, but especially on the production floor‐level operations. Cost‐cutting dicta come from the executive levels, demanding a significant reduction in operating expenses or capital expenditures even when production levels are stable or increasing. While all areas of a company feel the impacts, key process safety impacts are felt on the shop floor; by the exact people, process safety is meant to protect, the operators, maintenance personnel and their supervisors. During these times of ...

The CCPS Process Safety Beacon is a valuable resource for promoting process safety awareness for front line plant workers. The Beacon is available free of charge and can be shared with colleagues. The purpose, intended audience, and suggestions for use are discussed. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog, 2011